DiVincenzo also scored 40 points in a career-best game as he helped guide his team to a massive 124-99 victory over the Detroit Pistons.
The 17th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft broke the record that had previously been sent by JR Smith on April 6th 2014 and then matched by Evan Fournier on January 6th 2022 of ten makes in one game.
Many fans of the Knicks found it rather fitting that Fournier, the previous record holder, was the man attempting to guard DiVincenzo throughout last night’s game for the Pistons. However, there was nothing he could do as the 27-year-old was fantastic from beyond the arc during the game.
DiVincenzo thought he had equaled the record with 5:04 remaining in the third-quarter, after he seemingly hit a fantastic shot from beyond the arc to seal his tenth three pointer of the night. However, upon review, his basket was credited as a two-point shot as his foot was actually on the baseline.
Following this, he would miss his next four three-point attempts before finally matching the record with 5:11 left in the final quarter of the game which further established the Knicks’ big lead in this game.
The history making moment would come with 3:16 left in the game, as DiVincenzo remained In the game post-timeout after missing his previous two attempts to hit the record breaking number eleven to create a historical night for both the player and the franchise.
Madison Square Garden erupted as DiVincenzo sank the shot, with the player receiving a standing ovation from the crowd after he broke the ten-year standing record in front of his home crowd in New York.
The Statistics
DiVincenzo has had his struggles throughout his NBA career, struggling to properly nail down his legacy in the league after his struggles with the Milwaukee Bucks, Sacramento Kings, and Golden State Warriors. However, New York is finally seeming like a place where can finally make his mark on the NBA.
He also joins a very select list of three players who have made more than ten threes in a game this season. He joins the list alongside Keegan Murray of the Kings and DiVincenzo’s former superstar teammate on the Warriors, Stephen Curry. He also becomes just the 14th player in NBA history to attempt 20 threes in one game.
Not only this, but his record-breaking night means only Klay Thompson, Luka Doncic and Curry have made more than the 216 threes he has managed this season. However, his 39.7% accuracy from downtown is better than Thompson (38.6%) and Doncic (37.6%) and only bettered by Curry (40.5%).
After the game, controversy sparked after comments made by Pistons’ Head Coach Monty Williams and DiVincenzo’s teammate Josh Hart. When asked about the record, Williams stated “I could care less. The way they got those threes. I don’t want to be a part of that story”.
Many saw Williams’ comments as rather bitter after yet another loss for his side, including Knicks star Josh Hart. Hart fired back at Williams by saying, “If he didn’t wanna be part of the story, he should’ve told his guys to defend better”.
The Knicks and DiVincenzo will be looking to build on this massive victory at MSG as they are edging closer to securing a playoff spot. They face the 12th seeded in the Eastern Conference Toronto Raptors as they attempt to secure not only their playoff spot, but the highest possible seeding that they can.
